SPORTS BETTING INDUSTRY NEWS

New LasPalmas (SBR Rating D+) player reports $979 slow-pay, waiting since July 6th. Las Palmas initially told the player to expect his funds within 21 business days while over $124,000 in back payments are pending with other bettors. After 24 days had passed LasPalmas tells the player he would have to wait at least another 10 business days. No significant payments to SBR readers have been documented in weeks. | LasPalmas slow-pay report

Skybook (SBR rating B) is advertising Neteller payments but alerts players they must wait 20 business days to have Neteller payments processed after the request. However, one player who is currently waiting is on day 40. Players are offered alternate payment options that are more expensive and the difference is not covered by Skybook. Skybook is unable to estimate when processing time for Neteller may decrease. SBR has suggested that Skybook remove Neteller as a withdrawal option; make note of the known delays on the website, or cover the difference for alternate withdrawal methods. Skybook feedback has otherwise been positive and non-Neteller withdrawals are reported to be processed in a timely manner.

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) software allows players to place parlays with their promotional funds but if the user places even one small parlay before a winning run, the sportsbook will cite the no-parlay fine print when the player requests a payout. Winnings will then be confiscated. The fine print regarding parlays is on the book's rules page but not supplied with the marketed promotional material. Oddsmaker previously told SBR it would honor winnings earned prior to the point the first parlay was wagered, would add the rule to the correct website pages, and clarify the rule in its terms of service. The book has not made these changes and players continue to waste winning picks on an account that cannot yield a profit. Players who have added to their balance with deposited funds have also had winnings removed despite having their own funds at risk and enough deposited cash to cover winning wagers.

Player #1:

I was given $100 "bonus" from a flier I received in the mail that did not mention any stipulations, however I later found out, that the bonus amount must be wagered 10x, which is wagering a total of $1000 or more, and that you must subtract $1500, and the remaining balance could be cashed out, or continue to wager with it. I did all of this and now have a total of $3,283.81, in my account so after subtracting out their $1500, I should have $1,783.81 to my name. I was refused payout because I supposedly made an illegal parlay which apparently was not part of of the deal, why then was I allowed to make this bet and never warned that this bet was illegal until I tried to make a cashout!?

Player #2:

When i attempted to withdraw $1500 from my oddsmaker.com account, my entire account of $1749 was frozen and my funds seized. They claim I broke a bonus regulation although this was not bonus money and i had been making similar winning and losing bets for a month on their website with no problems.

Player #3:

I recieved a bonus from oddsmaker. I have been playing it and i clicked live chat to inquire why a wager didn't show up from the day before. The Rep 'andrew" quickly said i violated the terms and conditions by placing a parlay wager over a month before out chat knowing that i can only view back 30 days of wagers. He quickly then took all of the money out of my account and ended the chat session.

Two BetonBet (SBR Rating D+) players report payment totaling over $2,000. BetOnBet management has yet to comment on the reason for the slow-pays but tells SBR they are being addressed. SBR will update on the status of owed players early next week.

LooseLines (SBR rating B-), a sister sportsbook of JazzSports (SBR rating B) and backed by parent company DPT Sports, is back online after a brief period of housing former BetRuss (SBR rating C-) players. Those players have since been migrated to Jazz Sports. DPT tells SBR that there will again be a focus on Looselines as an independant brand with dedicated management and customer service. Looselines will be reevaluated after ther new website is tested and new player feedback is received. Players with recent experience at both Jazz and LooseLines are encouraged to write to SBR.

Gamebookers (SBR rating B-), a member of the Partybets family, unfairly grades tennis wager as a loser, taking 63 Pounds ($109) from a player. The player bet on an exact set-score market, wagering Vassallo Arguello to beat Bellucci by 3-0. Bellucci retired midway through the 3rd set with the score at 1 set each. The book's rule states

In the event of a participant withdrawing after the start of a tennis match, the respective bets will be deemed void if at the time of suspension they are still not decided as winning or losing (e.g. First Set and First Set Exacta will be settled if the first set has ended).

The rule is ambiguous on exact set-scoring with a retirement. Other books have clearer rules on this scenario. From Pinnacle Sports (SBR rating A+): "If a tennis match is not completed because of a player retirement or disqualification, all Set wagers will be considered void. Such wagers will be cancelled and the monies refunded." Under Gamebookers' interpretation, the exact-set betting will have many losing bets, but no winning bets with a retirement. The industry standard is that for any multi-way market, such as exact set-scoring, there must be at least one winning bet.

Three BetOnBet players have reported payment. SBR has continued its discussions with the current General Manager of BetOnBet, who states that over half of the payment complaints filed with SBR have been resolved. SBR expects another update from the BetOnBet GM later this week.

On August 1st, Dimeline Sportsbook manager Robert Wilde informed a player his payout was delayed for more than a month as punishment for critical remarks made against Dimeline Sportsbook. The player had filed a payout complaint against Dimeline(SBR Rating D+) June 24th. The unprofessional behavior is not new for Dimeline. The sportsbook has called players to voice their displeasure after the players shared negative experiences on gambling forums. Dimeline slow-pay complaints have been received through the summer. Players also report customer service LiveChat being deactivated after repeatedly asking for payout updates through the service. DLS has confirmed in the past that they have turned off this method of communication for some users. Dimeline does not offer a customer service phone line.Dimeline to player: “Yes I do think you have waited long enough. The only reason we didn't pay you is because you made incorrect statements at SBR in a negative way. At the time you had waited about 12 days for your payout. You went to SBR and said you have been waiting for 30 days when that is incorrect. I will get your payout sent next week."

On August 1st, Dimeline Sportsbook manager Robert Wilde informed a player his payout was delayed for more than a month as punishment for critical remarks made against Dimeline Sportsbook. The player had filed a payout complaint against Dimeline(SBR Rating D+) June 24th. The unprofessional behavior is not new for Dimeline. The sportsbook has called players to voice their displeasure after the players shared negative experiences on gambling forums. Dimeline slow-pay complaints have been received through the summer. Players also report customer service LiveChat being deactivated after repeatedly asking for payout updates through the service. DLS has confirmed in the past that they have turned off this method of communication for some users. Dimeline does not offer a customer service phone line.Dimeline to player: “Yes I do think you have waited long enough. The only reason we didn't pay you is because you made incorrect statements at SBR in a negative way. At the time you had waited about 12 days for your payout. You went to SBR and said you have been waiting for 30 days when that is incorrect. I will get your payout sent next week."

On August 1st, Dimeline Sportsbook manager Robert Wilde informed a player his payout was delayed for more than a month as punishment for critical remarks made against Dimeline Sportsbook. The player had filed a payout complaint against Dimeline(SBR Rating D+) June 24th. The unprofessional behavior is not new for Dimeline. The sportsbook has called players to voice their displeasure after the players shared negative experiences on gambling forums. Dimeline slow-pay complaints have been received through the summer. Players also report customer service LiveChat being deactivated after repeatedly asking for payout updates through the service. DLS has confirmed in the past that they have turned off this method of communication for some users. Dimeline does not offer a customer service phone line.Dimeline to player: “Yes I do think you have waited long enough. The only reason we didn't pay you is because you made incorrect statements at SBR in a negative way. At the time you had waited about 12 days for your payout. You went to SBR and said you have been waiting for 30 days when that is incorrect. I will get your payout sent next week."

On August 1st, Dimeline Sportsbook manager Robert Wilde informed a player his payout was delayed for more than a month as punishment for critical remarks made against Dimeline Sportsbook. The player had filed a payout complaint against Dimeline(SBR Rating D+) June 24th. The unprofessional behavior is not new for Dimeline. The sportsbook has called players to voice their displeasure after the players shared negative experiences on gambling forums. Dimeline slow-pay complaints have been received through the summer. Players also report customer service LiveChat being deactivated after repeatedly asking for payout updates through the service. DLS has confirmed in the past that they have turned off this method of communication for some users. Dimeline does not offer a customer service phone line.Dimeline to player: “Yes I do think you have waited long enough. The only reason we didn't pay you is because you made incorrect statements at SBR in a negative way. At the time you had waited about 12 days for your payout. You went to SBR and said you have been waiting for 30 days when that is incorrect. I will get your payout sent next week."

August's MLB Pick 3 Contest will be on the new SBR Contest platform, which is currently being tested by SBRforum posters. Players interested in taking part in the MLB Pick 3 will be asked to offer feedback and report on performance. The contest will have a $250 prize pool and begin at 11:00am ET and run through the month of August.

BetGoTo.com is part of the slow-paying Costa Rica-based sportsbook group GoToEntertainment. Slow-paid GoTo players report that progress has not been made. Some are hopeful that new NFL bettor deposits will be used to fund their delinquent payout requests. Players are advised to avoid all GoTo brands.

On July 21st SBR reported the relationship between OddsMatrix and BetOnBet(SBR rating D-). The COO of OddsMatrix, Jesper Ramskov Jensen, contacted SBR stating that OddsMatrix stands by player balances for sportsbooks listed on OddsMatrix's references page. On July 29th the CEO of OddsMatrix and founder of BetOnBet Stian Hornsletten stated Jesper’s comments were incorrect, stating that BetOnBet is provided only sportsbook software and not a full turnkey solution. OddsMatrix CEO Stian Hornsletten states that they sold BetOnBet in January of 2009 to the Linx Media Group, which currently operates Eurolinx, BetOnBet, and LinxCasino. Players are advised to use extreme caution at any Linx-based sportsbooks or casinos until payment complaints are addressed.

SBR has began discussing the issues with the current General Manager of BetOnBet, and will update this report when we have more information regarding the backlog of payments.

Bet33 (SBR rating D-) and sister sportsbooks were upgraded to D- to reflect a lesser risk than the typical F rated sportsbook. SBR has not received any Bet33 nonpayment reports since late 2005 when they were added to the SBR Rating Guide. Bet33 was built with stolen player funds from stiff sportsbook Apex Sportsbook (SBR rating F). SBR has had annual conversations with ownership about paying the five year old debt. The conversations had not resulted in payment. Bet33 players are unlikely to be paid if they win a high five figure sum after a large winning run.

Bodog (SBR rating B+) Pro Poker Players Jean-Robert Bellande, Evelyn Ng, and David Williams will take part in tomorrow's poker freeroll. Each player will have a $100 bounty on their head in addition to $500 in cash prizes for placing in the tourney.There is a $1500 cash prize for eliminating all three pros from the tourney. | Register

OddsMatrix has seemingly tried to hide their relationship with BetOnBet following SBR's request for assistance with payout complaints. Players are advised to contact OddsMatrix directly at 44 797 628 7560 for information on their withdrawal. OddsMatrix's Jesper Ramskov Jensen told SBR that they hold player funds:

We do not have any stakes in any of the sites where the sports book is offered, nor do we operate our own brand. However, in case of the operators using our license, we hold the players sportsbooks funds in case of any break downs.

LasPalmas (SBR rating D+) players report being owed over $124,000. The slow-pays began in January of 2009. LasPalmas stated they had processor problems in February after multiple payout complaints surfaced. Players were assured things were fine and told they could expect to receive funds at the beginning of March. At the start of March a few players were sent small payments, but large balance holders were left to wait and continued to be fed generic email responses. The Las Palmas Group, which includes eHorse and eHorse-X, is no longer willing to discuss player complaints with SBR. The largest payment LasPalmas has made this year was via book-to-book transfer of $40,000 on 4/15/09 to a player's Bookmaker.com (SBR rating A+) account. Interbook transfers have since been discontinued as LasPalmas payout delays increase. The largest pending payout is more than $34,000 which SBR reported on 6/17/09.

SBRforum poster Mr Konckwon first place in the SBR Bash '09 Baseball Capping Contest. Mr Konck has won first class airfare, a Limo to the Golden Nugget, and an upgraded suite. Posters Jpowderly and Mr Leisure, 2nd and 3rd place finishers, will also receive upgraded suites at the SBR Bash. Forum posters can still sign up for the SBR Vegas Bash 2009!

On July 11, 2009, a Matchbook (SBR rating A) player made an offer of $700 at -140 on CB Dolloway who was fighting Tom Lawlor in an undercard non-televised UFC 100 fight. The market price was approximately -240. The player's wager offer was accepted and and he lost his bet to the accepting player. Tom Lawlor won the match. However, the listed start time was 8pm EST nd bloggers were giving the result of the fight as early as 7:41 p.m. There was a Twitter post by popular MMA writer Mike Chiappetta published at 7:51 p.m. giving the outcome of the fight. SBR and the losing player were able to use the official Twitter timestamp as conclusive proof that the fight was over when the bet order was filled. The player's wager was accepted at 7:52 p.m, after the result of the fight was known. Matchbook aided SBR in the investigation, voided the $700 losing trade, and gave the player commission credits for his inconvenience.

RebateWager earned its second upgrade in 2009. The sportsbook continues to seek feedback from players and SBR and has no pending or unresolved complaints. RebateWager first opened its post-up operation under the Blackdog name in 2007. After a rocky introduction by its sales department, management has provided industry references and has been transparent with SBR inquiries. SBRforum poster feedback has also been positive. Players should be aware that SBR still considers RebateWager a relatively new sportsbook and advises online sport bettors use books rated B+ or higher.

Following unanswered inquiries sent to OddsMatrix about their slow-pay turnkey licensee BetOnBet (SBR rating D-), OddsMatrix removed all mention of the sportsbook from its references and deleted all press releases regarding BetOnBet launches and product releases. OddsMatrix first wrote to SBR offering to discuss any matter regarding books "powered by OddsMatrix." Players should aggressively pursue withdrawals from the sportsbook. BetOnBet customer service is currently blaming additional security checks for delays.

OddsMatrix.com:

OddsMatrix Ltd of Vincenti Buildings, Suite 713, 14/19 Strait Street, Valletta is a limited liability company registered in Malta (Registration Number: C44411), a member of the EU since May 2004, that operates under regulation and license from the Lotteries & Gaming Authority of Malta, license no: LGA/CL2/497/2008 issued on 3 February, 2009.

Sources tell SBR new German Sportsbook Dorobet (not rated) is from the owners of BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-) and Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-). The company is expected to make a marketing push after it adds its casino software.

SBR first reported on Betonbet payout complaints July 14th. The sportsbook states that their operation is licensed under the Lotteries and Gaming Authorities (LGA) of Malta, however it is actually licensed under OddsMatrix, a turnkey whitelabel platform that provides software and processing for those without their own resources. OddsMatrix states that is will assist if a licensee user has a problem. SBR has written to OM asking if they guarentee all player funds including winnings.

If you have any complaints on sites operated under our class 2 license in Malta, I am happy to assist you.
We do not have any stakes in any of the sites where the spors book is offered, nor do we operate our own brand. However, in case of the operators using our license, we hold the players sportsbooks funds in case of any break downs.

Betonbet users have submitted over 20 slow-pay complaints this summer. Betonbet management has not communicated with SBR. Betonbet players are advised to take note of the slow-pay problems, and avoid making any further wagers until the processing issues are resolved. Malta has hosted many failed operations as of late. Players who where unaware of the recentl failed LGA-licensed books believe the Matla stamp of approval creates an undeserved sense of